H2o heating method, device, and system

ABSTRACT

H 2 O heating methods, devices, and systems are disclosed, wherein the method of heating H 2 O includes immersing the combustion of H 2  with O 2  in flowing H 2 O such that H 2 O from the combustion diffuses into the flowing H 2 O, and thus supplements and heats the flowing H 2 O. Extended systems are also disclosed that source heated H 2 O for use, inter alia, in electric power generation driven by turbines or pistons, mobile vehicle locomotion driven by turbines or pistons, environmental heating, environmental cleaning, cooking of materials, recycling of materials, cutting of materials, and drilling of materials. In addition, portable implementations of the method are disclosed.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/803,589, filed Mar. 20, 2013, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/825,456, filed May 20, 2013, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/825,463, filed May 20, 2013, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/837,934, filed Jun. 21, 2013, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The implementations disclosed herein generally relate to H₂O heating methods, devices, and systems with no by-product emissions for use, inter alia, in electric power generation (driven by turbines, pistons, thermodynamic engines, or steam engines), mobile vehicle locomotion (driven by turbines, pistons, thermodynamic engines, or steam engines), environmental heating, environmental cleaning, cooking of materials, recycling of materials, cutting of materials, smelting, and drilling of materials.

BACKGROUND

Since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, there have been many and varied embodiments of the conventional method of heating H₂O, yet the operating principles underlying such embodiments have remained essentially the same. In an early example of the conventional method, Heron of Alexandria invented the first historically recorded version of a steam-driven turbine nearly 2,000 years ago. In conventional methods, H₂O is heated within a vessel via convection into the vessel of the heat of combustion produced by burning a fuel, often inside a fire box, but located on the outside of the vessel, and the resultant heated H₂O, often in vapor form, is conveyed out of the vessel for downstream use. Because of both its relatively high heat capacity and extremely high latent heat of vaporization, H₂O is an ideal substance for concentrating energy as heat for conveyance and performing thermodynamic work.

The design, configuration, materials, shape, scale, mechanism, platform, location, controls, and material composition of conventional H₂O heating methods have undergone a myriad of changes over time to improve the ease and efficiency of H₂O heating, but the basic operating principles outlined above have remained standard practice in virtually every industrial application.

Conventional H₂O heating methods are frequently fueled by burning carbon-based fuels, such as coal, fuel oil, ethanol, or natural gas. Wood and biomass fuels are other carbon-based fuels in common use, usually at relatively smaller scales.

Conventional combustion fuels are generally carbureted with ambient air to provide O₂ as the oxidizer required for combustion, with the exhaust from combustion, predominantly consisting of H₂O and carbon dioxide, vented into the ambient environment. While carbon dioxide can be considered the primary pollutant present in the exhaust (due to its role in contributing to global warming) the exhaust also contains non-trivial amounts of noxious pollutants, including carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, cyanides, lead, mercury, and soot particulates, all of which contribute to the polluting effect of venting combustion exhaust into the ambient environment. In some cases, the exhaust may be scrubbed prior to venting in order to reduce the concentration of carbon dioxide and noxious pollutants, but such scrubbing is expensive and incomplete due to the nature of the filtering processes involved.

Nuclear fission is a relatively modern means used to heat H₂O, for example in large-scale electricity generating stations where H₂O is heated into steam to drive turbines. Nuclear fission is often more economical than conventional fuels, in terms of heat generated per cost of fuel consumed, and it does not produce any significant amount of exhaust gases; in that sense nuclear fission as a means to heat H₂O can be said to be less polluting than conventional fuels per amount of heat generated. However, nuclear fission does result in radioactive waste products, which can be even more costly to remediate and overall riskier for the ambient environment, long term, than conventional combustion exhaust. The short-term environmental costs of fission generating stations are also increased by the attendant security risks associated with nuclear fission installations and fissionable materials.

Electrical current resistance, while generally less energy and cost efficient than fuel combustion or nuclear fission, is also commonly used to heat H₂O. For example, in modern apartment buildings where a single utility system may be easier to manage, or in outlying rural areas where fuel may not be readily at hand in sufficient volume to power local need. Heating H₂O by electrical resistance does not generate pollutants at the point of use, however the generation of the electrical current that is consumed requires electricity-generating stations to be operated, and those generating stations normally do cause attendant pollution since the predominant conventional means of producing electrical current involve burning the aforementioned conventional fuels or nuclear fission. Further, the conveyance of electrical current from the generating site to the point of use results in loss of efficiency due to heat produced by electrical resistance in the wires, switches, and transformers along the way.

When H₂ is carbureted with O₂ and combusted under normal conditions, the only product is H₂O and no pollutants are produced: no carbon dioxide, no carbon monoxide, no nitrogen oxides, no sulfur oxides, no cyanides, no lead, no mercury, no soot particulates, and no radioactive waste. However, the temperature of the H₂O generated by normal stoichiometric combustion of H₂ with O₂ is about 3500° Centigrade, which is too hot to be contained, conveyed, or employed by conventional means, such as those involving unaided conventional tubes, manifolds, tanks, or turbines. The expected cost of engineering and replacing conventional components in H₂O heating systems with components capable of withstanding the concentrated heat produced by efficient combustion of H₂ with O₂ is prohibitive, despite the attractively non-polluting nature of the combustion.

There is an urgent need for technology that efficiently generates heat and electricity without contributing to pollution and climate change. Harnessing the combustion of hydrogen in the context of conventional materials, apparatuses, and applications while producing no emissions will go a long way to satisfying this need.

SUMMARY

Systems, devices, and methods for economically heating H₂O are presented. The method uses the heat of combustion of H₂ with O₂ to heat H₂O such that the temperature of the H₂O output remains comfortably within useful ranges of conventional containment and conveyance materials, apparatuses, and applications. This method of H₂ combustion becomes a viable alternative to conventional means of heating H₂O for industrial applications including heating systems, steam turbines powering electrical current generators, heat and electricity cogeneration systems, and locomotive engines. The methods herein described naturally permit temperature modulation of output H₂O in any degree from input H₂O temperature on up to the maximum temperature consistent with the materials used to contain and convey the output H₂O. In addition, the method facilitates new uses of H₂O heretofore deemed uneconomical, such as environmental cleaning systems, recycling plants, cutting torches, and drilling devices, to name a few.

Instead of heating H₂O in the fashion of conventional methods, where fuel is typically burned in a fire box on the outside of an H₂O-containing vessel, with the resultant heat transferred to the H₂O in the vessel by convection, the method inverts the conventional set up by burning its fuel directly within the H₂O-containing vessel. The method combusts H₂ with O₂ such that the combustion occurs immersed within H₂O flowing through a combustion vessel. The H₂O from combustion diffuses into and heats the input H₂O. The H₂ input rate determines how much heat is generated and how much H₂O from combustion supplements the input H₂O. The O₂ input rate is consistent with efficient combustion of the H₂ input. Given the H₂ input rate and the combustion vessel pressure, the H₂O output rate and temperature are controlled by varying the H₂O input rate. Because the combustion product is H₂O, there is no need to segregate the combustion function from the H₂O containment function and there is no need for a smokestack as no foreign byproducts are produced—the water produced by combustion is of laboratory purity and can be harvested and used as such.

Because the systems, devices, and methods disclosed herein combust fuel immersed in H₂O directly within a combustion vessel, and because the combustion product is H₂O, the method produces no by-product exhausts, requires no smokestack or other form of ventilation, and efficiently captures virtually all of the heat of fuel combustion, thereby maximizing the amount of H₂O heated per unit of fuel consumed. None of the heat of combustion is lost in venting hot exhaust gases out of the system via a flue as in conventional fuel-fired H₂O heating designs. A minimal amount of heat may be lost due to convection from the combustion vessel into the ambient environment but it will not be more than the heat normally lost by convection from the surface of conventional H₂O heating vessels. The combustion vessel may be designed to further minimize convective heat loss, for example by judicious selection of combustion vessel geometry and the layering of insulating flashing on the outside of the combustion vessel. A requisite combustion vessel will have much less surface area per unit of water heated than does a conventional H₂O heating vessel, further reducing the potential convective heat loss. Furthermore, combustion of H₂ with O₂ produces H₂O, which may be siphoned off and used downstream as an additional value-adding byproduct in the natural course of applying the method.

Combustion of H₂ with O₂ liberates more energy as heat per mass of fuel consumed than any other known chemical reaction. The method captures virtually all of this heat, does not produce byproduct exhaust, and produces pure H₂O, making the operational efficiency of the method well beyond any other known process for heating H₂O.

The magnitude of the enthalpy of combustion of H₂ with O₂ at standard temperature and pressure is 286 kilojoules per mole (kJ/mol) of H₂ fuel burned, and the mass of H₂ is 2 grams per mol (g/mol), so that combustion of H₂ has a heat-liberated-to-fuel-mass ratio of 143 kJ/g. For comparison, the concomitant ratio for methane is 56 kJ/g, for heating oil the ratio is about 45 kJ/g, for coal the ratio is about 35 kJ/g, and for ethanol the ratio is 30 kJ/g. H_(z)'s efficiency per unit mass is very attractive.

Unlike combustion of carbon-based fuels, combustion of H₂ with O₂ naturally produces no carbon-based exhaust, no carbon dioxide, and no carbon monoxide, because there is no carbon in the fuel. The only product of combustion is H₂O and the H₂O produced can be siphoned off and used downstream as a value-added by-product of the combustion. Because the combustion produces no greenhouse gases, the operation of devices and systems based on the method will not directly contribute to global warming.

Unlike combustion of conventional fuels and nuclear fission, combustion of H₂ naturally produces no noxious or radioactive wastes. Because the combustion of H₂ produces only H₂O and is free of foreign byproducts, the operation of systems and devices disclosed herein does not directly contribute to environmental pollution.

Accordingly, in one implementation, a method of heating H₂O includes:

immersing the combustion of H₂ and O₂ to produce H₂O and heat within a flow of H₂O;

wherein the H₂O produced by the combustion diffuses into and supplements the flow of H₂O; and

wherein the heat increases the temperature of the flow of H₂O.

In another implementation, an H₂O heating device includes:

a combustion vessel capable of containing heated H₂O at a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure;

at least one combustion unit for forming heated H₂O, each of the combustion units including:

-   -   at least one H₂ conduit;     -   at least one O₂ conduit; and     -   at least one ignition device;     -   wherein the at least one combustion unit is located within the         combustion vessel; an H₂O conduit;     -   wherein the H₂O conduit is configured to contact H₂O with a         product of combustion of H₂ and O₂ and to absorb heat to form         heated H₂O;

an H₂ supply in fluid communication with the H₂ conduit;

an O₂ supply in fluid communication with the O₂ conduit;

an H₂O supply in fluid communication with the H₂O conduit; and

at least one output conduit.

In yet another implementation, an H₂O heating device includes:

a combustion vessel;

an H₂ conduit configured to deliver H₂ into the combustion vessel;

an O₂ conduit configured to deliver O₂ into the combustion vessel, wherein the O₂ conduit and the H₂ conduit are arranged such that an O₂ flow path from the O₂ conduit and an H₂ flow path from the H₂ conduit define a point of confluence, wherein the point of confluence corresponds to a location within the combustion vessel in which at least a portion of the O₂ flow path intersects with at least a portion of the H₂ flow path;

an H₂O conduit arranged to deliver H₂O into the combustion vessel and toward the point of confluence;

an ignition device positioned substantially near the point of confluence; and

an output conduit.

In yet another implementation, an H₂O heating device includes:

a combustion chamber, the combustion chamber defining a fluid flow path and an axis passing substantially along the fluid flow path;

a first plurality of fluid inlets configured to deliver a first fluid into the combustion chamber, wherein the first plurality of fluid inlets are positioned radially about the axis at a first radius; and

a second plurality of fluid inlets configured to deliver a second fluid into the combustion chamber, wherein the second plurality of fluid inlets are positioned radially about the axis at a second radius.

In yet another implementation, an H₂O heating system includes:

a plurality of H₂O heating modules, each H₂O heating module including:

-   -   a combustion unit;     -   an H₂ conduit for delivering H₂ into the combustion unit;     -   an O₂ conduit for delivering O₂ into the combustion unit;     -   an H₂O conduit;     -   an ignition device arranged within the combustion unit and         configured to cause combustion of H₂ and O₂ delivered by the H₂         conduit and the O₂ conduit, respectively, within a flow of H₂O         from the H₂O conduit; and     -   an output conduit; and

a collector conduit, wherein the collector conduit is configured to receive heated H₂O from an output conduit of each of the plurality of H₂O heating modules.

In yet another implementation, an H₂O heating device includes:

a plurality of H₂O heating modules, each H₂O heating module including:

-   -   a combustion unit;     -   an H₂ conduit for delivering H₂ into the combustion unit;     -   an O₂ conduit for delivering O₂ into the combustion unit;     -   an H₂O conduit;     -   an ignition device arranged within the combustion unit and         configured to cause combustion of H₂ and O₂ delivered by the H₂         conduit and the O₂ conduit, respectively, within a flow of H₂O         from the H₂O conduit; and     -   an output conduit; and

a collector conduit, wherein the collector conduit is configured to receive heated H₂O from an output conduit of each of the plurality of H₂O heating modules.

In yet another implementation, a method of heating H₂O includes:

flowing H₂ and O₂ into a combustion vessel and into a flow of H₂O to produce a homogeneous mixture of H₂, O₂, and H₂O within the combustion vessel;

igniting the H₂ and O₂ within the homogeneous mixture to produce heated H₂O; and

flowing the heated H₂O out of the combustion vessel.

In yet another implementation, a method of heating H₂O includes:

flowing a first body of H₂O into a combustion vessel, the first body of H₂O having a first temperature;

immersing a combustion reaction of H₂ and O₂ within the first body of H₂O to produce a second body of H₂O having a second temperature, wherein the second temperature is greater than the first temperature; and

flowing the second body of H₂O out of the combustion vessel.

In yet another implementation, a system includes at least one H₂O heating device as described herein.

The methods, devices, and systems may be used in any application requiring heated H₂O, such as in electric power generation driven by turbines or pistons, mobile vehicle locomotion driven by turbines or pistons, environmental heating, environmental cleaning, cooking of materials, recycling of materials, cutting of materials, and drilling of materials. The applications may be stationary or mobile.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the implementations disclosed herein and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate implementations together with the description that serve to explain the principles of operation. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an H₂O heating device in accordance with an implementation;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an H₂O heating device with a conical vessel configuration in accordance with an implementation;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an H₂O heating device with a multiple combustion unit configuration in accordance with an implementation;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an H₂O heating device with a multiple output conduit configuration in accordance with an implementation;

FIG. 5 is a cross-section showing gas intake and water supply locations in accordance with an implementation;

FIG. 6 is a cross-section showing a compact configuration in which the combustion unit housing is synonymous with the combustion vessel in accordance with an implementation;

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal cutaway view of a compact configuration of a combustion vessel in which the combustion unit housing is synonymous with the combustion vessel in accordance with an implementation;

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of an implementation in which multiple H₂O heating devices are connected in parallel; and

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of an implementation used to drive an electricity generating station.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Although the implementations disclosed herein are applicable to numerous and various types of steam generation systems, the various implementations have been found to be particularly useful in the environment of steam-turbine power generation systems where limiting carbon dioxide and other fossil-fuel-sourced emissions into the atmosphere is desirable. Therefore, various implementations disclosed herein will be described in the context of such environments, and it is to be understood that these implementations are not limited as such.

The implementations disclosed herein provide devices, systems, and methods of heating H₂O and hence generating steam that produces no foreign by-products. Also provided are devices, systems, and methods of steam generation that contain the heat of combustion within the process of steam generation with minimal loss to the exterior of the device and system. Combustion occurring within the interior of the device ejects neither mass nor energy into the surroundings, which makes the power generation both emission and energy efficient.

The combustion reaction of hydrogen and oxygen has an inherently high reaction enthalpy and flame temperature. The vaporization of water requires 2,260 kilojoules of energy per kilogram of liquid water converted into steam. The combustion of fuel (hydrogen) and oxidizer (oxygen) within a body of water is contained within a vessel composed of heat-and-pressure-resistant materials, such as the conventional metallic materials used in steam boilers, steam paths, and steam turbines. High-temperature applications, such as cutting torches and drilling devices, may leverage more specialized heat-resistant materials, including ceramics and evolving graphene-based materials techniques. Such materials are able to withstand temperatures and pressures consistent with manufacturer-recommended steam conditions at a turbine inlet that can vaporize the water surrounding the combustion reaction in proportion to the volume of fuel and oxidizer combusted.

As employed above and throughout the disclosure, the following terms, unless otherwise indicated, shall be understood to have the following meanings.

As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include the plural reference, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

As used herein, the terms “H₂O” or “water” refer to the substance H₂O in any fluid form, including any mixture or melding of fluid forms. For example, liquid water, steam, and supercritical states where the distinction between liquid and vapor phases is not meaningful are each considered H₂O as the term is used herein.

As used herein, the term “flow,” as it is used in reference to H₂O, refers to either a moving or stationary body of H₂O.

While the implementations disclosed are capable of being embodied in various forms, the description below is made with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the various implementations, and is not intended to be limiting to the specific implementations illustrated. Headings are provided for convenience only and are not to be construed to limit the implementations in any manner. Implementations illustrated under any heading may be combined with implementations illustrated under any other heading.

The use of numerical values in the various quantitative values specified in this application, unless expressly indicated otherwise, are stated as approximations as though the minimum and maximum values within the stated ranges were both preceded by the word “about.” In this manner, slight variations from a stated value can be used to achieve substantially the same results as the stated value. For example, the word “about” may indicate within 10% of a stated value due to error, or within a standard deviation of an average value. Also, the disclosure of ranges is intended as a continuous range including every value between the minimum and maximum values recited as well as any ranges that can be formed by such values. Also disclosed herein are any and all ratios (and ranges of any such ratios) that can be formed by dividing a recited numeric value into any other recited numeric value. Accordingly, the skilled person will appreciate that many such ratios, ranges, and ranges of ratios can be unambiguously derived from the numerical values presented herein and in all instances such ratios, ranges, and ranges of ratios represent various implementations disclosed herein.

The methods, devices, and systems disclosed herein may be used in any application requiring heated H₂O, such as in electric power generation driven by turbines or pistons, mobile vehicle locomotion driven by turbines or pistons, environmental heating, environmental cleaning, cooking of materials, recycling of materials, cutting of materials, and drilling of materials. The applications may be stationary or mobile.

Reference will now be made to FIG. 1, which shows an exemplary H₂O heating device 100. Combustion vessel 102 contains the mass of H₂O under pressure at temperature that will reside within combustion vessel 102. In certain implementations, combustion vessel 102 may include a sensor apparatus sufficient to detect and report flow rate, pressure, temperature, chemical composition, and structural stress within combustion vessel 102. In certain implementations, combustion vessel 102 may be sufficient to withstand temperatures up to about 2000° C., a temperature well below the maximum temperature obtainable by combustion of H₂ with O₂, well below the critical temperature of known materials, and well above the temperatures required for applications that envision containing and conveying the heated product under pressure, such as for use, inter alia, in electric power generation (driven by turbines or pistons), mobile vehicle locomotion (driven by turbines, pistons, thermodynamic engines, or steam engines), environmental heating, environmental cleaning, cooking of materials, and recycling of materials, and smelting. By contrast, cutting torch and drilling device implementations may operate at more extreme temperatures, emphasizing rapid, focused evacuation of combustion product gases rather than containment and conveyance of the heated water produced. Variants of compact device structures are exemplified in FIGS. 6 and 7, when composed of specialized high-temperature-resistant materials, is expected to be employed for such high-temperature implementations. In certain implementations, combustion vessel 102 may be sufficient to withstand pressures up to 10,000 psi (pounds per square inch) or greater, well below the critical pressure of known conventional materials.

Output conduit 104 provides a conduit for H₂O under pressure to be vented out of combustion vessel 102 and is sufficient to convey the H₂O under pressure at the temperature within combustion vessel 102 out of combustion vessel 102 so that the output H₂O can be used in downstream applications. In certain implementations, output conduit 104 may include a valve apparatus sufficient to regulate, measure, meter, and control output of H₂O under pressure from combustion vessel 102 into output conduit 104. In certain implementations, output conduit 104 may include a sensor apparatus sufficient to detect and report flow rate, pressure, temperature, chemical composition, and structural stress within output conduit 104.

H₂O supply 106 supplies the H₂O that is conveyed under pressure into combustion vessel 102 and contains H₂O under pressure in sufficient quantity to supply a mass of H₂O for replacing H₂O as needed within combustion vessel 102. For example, the mass of H₂O supplied by supply 106 replaces H₂O within combustion vessel 102 as it vents out of combustion vessel 102 under pressure into output conduit 104. In certain implementations, H₂O supply 106 may include requisite storage, regulation, plumbing, pumping, valving, measuring, and metering of H₂O. In certain implementations, H₂O from H₂O supply 106 may be distilled or deionized, so that it is substantially mineral-free, and may additionally be de-aerated so that it contains substantially no dissolved gases that may otherwise cause damage to components of downstream applications. In certain implementations, H₂O supply 106 may include valve apparatus sufficient to regulate, measure, meter, and control output of H₂O under pressure from H₂O supply 106. In certain implementations, H₂O supply 106 may include sensor apparatus sufficient to detect and report mass, pressure, temperature, chemical composition, and structural stress within H₂O supply 106.

H₂O conduit 108 provides a conduit for H₂O into combustion vessel 102 and is sufficient to convey the requisite mass of H₂O under pressure from H₂O supply 106 into combustion vessel 102. In certain implementations, H₂O conduit 108 may include a valve apparatus sufficient to regulate, measure, meter, and control input of H₂O under pressure from H₂O supply 106 into combustion vessel 102. In certain implementations, H₂O conduit 108 may include a sensor apparatus sufficient to detect and report flow rate, pressure, temperature, chemical composition, and structural stress within H₂O conduit 108.

Combustion unit 110 provides initiation, control and maintenance of the combustion reaction of H₂ with O₂ within combustion vessel 102, and is capable of operating while immersed in H₂O at the temperatures and pressures produced within combustion vessel 102. Combustion unit 110 may be located on any side or at any point in the interior of combustion vessel 102. In certain implementations, combustion unit 110 may include a valve apparatus sufficient to regulate, measure, meter, and control input of O₂ under pressure and H₂ under pressure to combustion unit 110. In certain implementations, combustion unit 110 may include sensor apparatus sufficient to detect and report flow rates, pressure, temperature, chemical composition, and structural stress within combustion unit 110. In certain implementations, combustion unit 110 is a sub-chamber of combustion vessel 102 and may be made of the same material or a different material than combustion vessel 102. Combustion unit 110 may be designed to include openings for H₂O from H₂O supply 106 to penetrate, which allows for a portion of the mass of H₂O to engulf a combustion reaction occurring within combustion unit 110, while the other portion of the mass of H₂O surrounds combustion unit 110 and may serve as a heat sink to the outer walls of combustion unit 110. In some implementations, combustion unit 110 may be designed to include baffles or other mixing components disposed in the interior of the combustion unit to promote homogeneous mixing of H₂, O₂, and H₂O within combustion unit 110.

Ignition device 112 protrudes into combustion unit 110 and permits initiation of the combustion reaction (“startup”). In certain implementations, ignition device 112 is, for example, a piezo-electric spark or glow plug with a source of electric current. In certain implementations, ignition device 112 is positioned at a point of confluence in which flows from each of conduits 108, 116, and 120 intersect. In general, any device capable of providing a concentrated burst of energy can be used as ignition device 112. For example, a small incendiary device that can be replaced for each startup may be used in certain implementations. The ignition device may be used to initiate the reaction; once the combustion reaction starts, the heat produced will be sufficient to sustain further combustion reaction, so long as appropriate proportions of fuel, oxygen, and water are fed into the combustion unit. Thus, the ignition device will be optimized to perform its functions on device startup and economic concerns may dictate, in any given application, whether the ignition device will be reusable for successive startups, or replaced prior to each startup operation. Ignition device may be reusable to the extent that it is temperature resistant to the conditions present in any given implementation. However, in certain implementations it may be more economically favorable to replace the device with each startup. For example, a glow plug is an inexpensive-to-replace part in a properly designed device for generating steam to drive long-running turbines that are stopped and restarted for occasional maintenance. On the other hand, in a small-scale building heating application, which may start and stop frequently and/or may have relatively low temperature output for which an appropriately temperature resistant ignition device can be inexpensively attached, such implementations may use such a reusable piezo-electric device as the ignition device. In certain implementations, a control system may monitor the conditions of the chamber to determine if the ignition device needs to re-ignite the reaction, for example, by determining that one or more of the flow rates, temperature, and pressure of the chamber falls below a threshold condition for which the reaction is sustainable.

H₂ supply 114 supplies the H₂ that is conveyed under pressure into combustion unit 110 and contains H₂ under pressure in sufficient quantity to supply the mass of H₂ used for combustion within combustion unit 110. In certain implementations, H₂ supply 114 may source H₂O from H₂O supply 106. In certain implementations, H₂ supply 114 may include a valve apparatus sufficient to regulate, measure, meter, and control output of H₂ from H₂ supply 114. In certain implementations, H₂ supply 114 may include a sensor apparatus sufficient to detect and report mass, pressure, temperature, chemical composition, and structural stress within H₂ supply 114. In certain implementations, H₂ supply 114 may include requisite storage, regulation, plumbing, pumping, valving, measuring, and metering of H₂. In certain implementations, H₂ supply 114 may be stocked with H₂ obtained via delivery from offsite vendors. In certain implementations, H₂ supply 114 may source heated H₂O, directly or indirectly, from output conduit 104. In certain implementations, H₂ supply 114 may be stocked with H₂ as a result of in situ production of H₂ by any available means including producing H₂ via electrolysis of H₂O and producing H₂ via steam reformation of hydrocarbon substrates such as natural gas. In certain implementations, H₂ supply 114 may include a supply of hydrocarbon substrate for in situ production of H₂ via steam reformation, and may therefore also include requisite storage, regulation, plumbing, pumping, valving, measuring and metering of a hydrocarbon substrate such as natural gas. In certain implementations, H₂ supply 114 may produce and capture CO₂ for downstream sequestration and use, and may therefore include requisite storage, regulation, plumbing, pumping, valving, measuring, and metering of CO₂.

H₂ conduit 116 connects to combustion unit 110, permitting injection of H₂ under pressure into combustion unit 110, and is sufficient to convey the requisite mass of H₂ under pressure from H₂ supply 114 into combustion unit 110. In certain implementations, H₂ conduit 116 may include valve apparatus sufficient to regulate, measure, meter, and control input of H₂ under pressure from H₂ supply 114 into combustion unit 110. In certain implementations, H₂ conduit 116 may include a sensor apparatus sufficient to detect and report flow rate, pressure, temperature, chemical composition, and structural stress within H₂ conduit 116.

O₂ supply 118 supplies the O₂ that is conveyed under pressure into combustion unit 110 and contains O₂ under pressure in sufficient quantity to supply the mass of O₂ used for combusting the H₂ within combustion unit 110. O₂ supply 118 may consume H₂O from H₂O supply C. In certain implementations, O₂ supply 118 may include a valve apparatus sufficient to regulate, measure, meter, and control output of O₂ under pressure from O₂ supply 118. In certain implementations, O₂ supply 118 may include a sensor apparatus sufficient to detect and report mass, pressure, temperature, chemical composition, and structural stress within O₂ supply 118. In certain implementations, O₂ supply 118 may include requisite storage, regulation, plumbing, pumping, valving, measuring, and metering of O₂. In certain implementations, O₂ supply 118 may be stocked with O₂ obtained via delivery from offsite vendors. In certain implementations, O₂ supply 118 may be stocked with O₂ via in situ production of O₂ by any available means including electrolysis of H₂O and extraction from air in various ways including separation techniques based on distillation from liquefied air and pressure-swing adsorption techniques.

O₂ conduit 120 connects to combustion unit 110, injecting O₂ under pressure into combustion unit 110, and is sufficient to convey the requisite mass of O₂ under pressure from O₂ supply 118 into combustion unit 110. In certain implementations, O₂ conduit 120 may include valve apparatus sufficient to regulate, measure, meter, and control input of O₂ under pressure from O₂ supply 118 into O₂ conduit 120. In certain implementations, O₂ conduit 120 may include a sensor apparatus sufficient to detect and report flow rate, pressure, temperature, chemical composition, and structural stress within O₂ conduit 120.

Combustion unit 110 uses H₂ from the H₂ supply 114 via the H₂ intake conduit 116 and O₂ from the O₂ supply 118 via the O₂ intake conduit 120, in approximately stoichiometric proportion, with the ignition device 112 to initiate a combustion reaction between the H₂ and O₂. The combustion unit 110 is immersed within H₂O inside combustion vessel 102 and kept immersed by continued intake of H₂O into combustion vessel 102 from H₂O supply 106 via the H₂O intake conduit(s) 108. Upon entering the body of H₂O resident in combustion vessel 102 and surrounding in open contact with combustion unit 110, the H₂ and O₂ are mixed by the turbulence imparted to the fluid-flows by their respective intakes, into a relatively homogeneous mix at the intended point of confluence. Appropriate control systems for amount and flow rate of H₂ and O₂, respectively, may be regulated by a process-control computer of conventional design. The heated water produced is vented out of combustion vessel 102 via one or more output conduits 104 for downstream use, for example as a source of steam to drive steam turbines in electricity generating stations.

Certain implementations of the method may include a computerized control system to permit automation and optimization of the operation of such implementations via computer assisted management of the various mechanical operations, material supplies, variable states, and state momentum of such implementations. The control system runs control software to inspect the data collected by sensor apparatus within such implementations, and to integrate, optimize, startup, test, run, shutdown, and generally streamline the operation of such implementations. The control system is not diagrammed in FIG. 1, but may be presumed to exist in the background when necessary to any given implementation disclosed herein. A control system, such as the computer automatic control system of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0314878 (which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety), may be adapted for use with any of the embodiments disclosed herein.

Certain implementations of the method that may include a control system may also require control software to operate the system and abstract the parameterized control models necessary to determine and manage the state of such implementations. The control software is not diagrammed in FIG. 1, but may be presumed to exist in the background when necessary to any implementation disclosed herein that may include a computerized control system.

In certain implementations, combustion vessel 102 may be conical as diagrammed schematically in FIG. 2 with reference to combustion vessel 202 of H₂O heating device 200. Certain implementations also include output conduit 204, H₂O supply 206, H₂O conduits 208, H₂ supply 214, H₂ conduit 216, O₂ supply 218, and O₂ conduits 220. In certain implementations, combustion unit 210 may be attached to an interior wall of combustion vessel 202 in any position, and may act as a pluggable hub or bus for at least one ignition device 212, at least one H₂ conduit 216, and at least one O₂ conduit 220. In certain implementations, ignition device 212 protrudes into combustion unit 210 through an opening, and is connected to an external controller via ignition power source 213.

In certain implementations as shown for example in FIG. 3 multiple implementations of combustion unit 110 may be attached to an interior wall of combustion vessel 102 in any position and any relative position, resulting in the configuration depicted by H₂O heating device 300. In certain implementations, H₂O heating device 300 may include combustion vessel 302, output conduit 304, H₂O supply 306, H₂O conduits 308, H₂ supply 318, and O₂ supply 314. Combustion unit 310 may house ignition device 312, which is connected to an external controller via ignition power source 313, H₂ conduit 320, and O₂ conduits 316. Similarly, combustion unit 322 may house ignition device 324, which is connected to an external controller via ignition power source 325, H₂ conduit 328, and O₂ conduits 326. In certain implementations, ignition power sources 313 and 325 may be connected to the same external controller.

In certain implementations, combustion vessel 102 may be cylindrical and relatively horizontal as shown schematically in FIG. 4 with reference to combustion vessel 402 of H₂O heating device 400. Certain implementations may include multiple output conduits 404 and 406. In certain implementations, one or more output conduits 404, 406 need not be positioned in line with combustion unit 414. H₂O heating device 400 may also include H₂O supply 408, H₂O conduit 410, H₂ supply 416, H₂ conduit 418, O₂ supply 420, and O₂ conduits 422. In certain implementations, combustion unit 412 may be attached to an interior wall of combustion vessel 402 in any position, and may act as a pluggable hub or bus for at least one ignition device 414. In certain implementations, ignition device 414 protrudes into combustion unit 412 through an opening, and is connected to an external controller via ignition power source 415.

FIG. 5 is a cross section of an exemplary H₂O heating device showing gas intake and water intake locations in one implementation. H₂ is supplied to the interior of combustion unit 506 by the hydrogen intakes 510, mounted into the body of combustion unit 506, where it is in fluid communication with the H₂ supply located outside combustion vessel 502. O₂ is supplied to the interior of combustion unit 506 by O₂ intakes 512, mounted into the body of combustion unit 506, where they are in fluid communication with the O₂ supply located outside combustion vessel 502. H₂O is supplied to the interior of combustion vessel 502 by H₂O supply inlets 504 located within the body of combustion vessel 502 in proximity to combustion unit 506 as shown, and at such an angle as to direct the flow of feed H₂O to the intended point of confluence, consistent with the point of homogenization of H₂ with O₂. Ignition device 508 may be placed at the point of homogenization to initiate the combustion reaction between H₂ and O₂ when immersed in H₂O. High-flow H₂O dispersing nozzles may be connected in fluid communication with, and distal to, the H₂O supply inlets. For example, high-flow H₂O dispersing nozzles, similar to Coast Guard fog-head nozzles, are capable of high flow-rates. Entering H₂O is injected into the interior of combustion vessel 502, where it is dispersed into a high-surface-area pattern at the intended point of combustion of H₂ with O₂, facilitating rapid vaporization by the heat generated by the combustion of H₂ with O₂ within the system. Although certain implementations may stream a flow of H₂O into combustion vessel 502, fog-head nozzles provide for the introduction of atomized droplets of H₂O into combustion vessel 502. The atomized droplets can be dispersed evenly such that the momentums of H₂O molecules/droplets are effectively randomized at the point of injection. Such embodiments may eliminate uneven heat distributions (i.e., “hot and cold spots”) that can occur if the H₂O is not evenly dispersed, which may occur with streaming flows of H₂O.

FIG. 6 is a cross-section showing gas intake and water supply locations in a compact configuration in one implementation, wherein combustion vessel 602 is formed by combustion unit 604. The description of FIG. 6 is functionally analogous to that of FIG. 5. In the implementation shown in FIG. 6, the combustion unit is used in a system using a compact combustion vessel, wherein the exterior diameter of the vessel is of the same dimension as the exterior diameter of the intake of the downstream applications into which the heated H₂O manufactured by the implementation is intended to be supplied. Functionally, the implementation will operate analogously to the other implementations described herein. In FIG. 6, the combustion unit 604 includes one or multiple H₂ supply conduits 608, which may be attached to nozzles, and multiple O₂ supply conduits 610 which may be attached to nozzles, which together provide a means to deliver and mix H₂ and O₂ for combustion within the interior of the combustion unit. H₂ supply conduits 608 and O₂ supply conduits 610 may be arranged symmetrically around a central axis of combustion unit 504 to promote homogeneous mixing at and/or near the point of confluence. The H₂O is supplied directly into and through combustion unit 604, which acts in this implementation as the combustion vessel. A port is provided within the body of the combustion unit for placement of an ignition spark generator 606, providing a means to initiate the combustion reaction at the intended point of confluence of supplied H₂, O₂, and H₂O. This implementation is capable of generating motive flow of heated H₂O for applications wherein it is desirable to limit the size of the combustion vessel to the diameter of the intake of the downstream applications into which the heated H₂O is intended to be supplied.

FIG. 7 shows an exemplary implementation of a compact configuration of an H₂O heating device, wherein the combustion unit is synonymous with the combustion vessel in the sense that there is no additional space within the combustion vessel volume beyond that required to house the combustion unit. In certain embodiments, the combustion vessel 702 of heating device 700 is roughly cylindrical and is about six inches in diameter and eighteen inches in height. The combustion vessel 702 is aligned vertically with respect to gravity, with a rounded base 720 that is anchored vertically and braced against a horizontal support platform to prevent the vertical downward thrust produced during normal operation from causing the unit to tilt away from its vertical alignment, and to prevent transverse vibrational action from rattling the device and skewing the direction of the thrust and resultant steam output. In the center of the rounded baseplate is an attachment port through which an ignition device 706 (e.g., a 12 inch glow plug) can be inserted, screwed in, and then connected by a wire 708 and switch to a direct current source (e.g., a 12 volt automobile battery). When attached, the ignition device port assembly is pressure-tight within the base of the cylindrical vessel such that no leakage will occur at the port assembly under pressure of normal operation within the vessel.

In certain implementations, six high-pressure H₂O inlet attachment ports are symmetrically arrayed in a hexagonal configuration horizontally around the vertical body of the cylinder, at about four inches above the base, each permitting H₂O conduits to be screwed in or otherwise appropriately attached to provide pressure-tight flow of H₂O during operation, with requisite valving controls and a high pressure H₂O source feeding the H₂O conduits included. On the interior side of each H₂O inlet port, within the cylinder body, is situated a high-pressure H₂O dispersal nozzle, such as a Coast Guard fog-head nozzle. Further up the vertical sides of the combustion vessel 702, above the H₂O ports, at about six inches above the base, in horizontal hexagonal array around the cylinder, are six H₂ gas inlet ports 710. Each H₂ gas inlet port 710 permits the attachment of pressurized H₂ inlet lines, with the H₂ inlet lines backed by requisite valve controls and pressurized H₂ gas source. Above the H₂ inlet ports 710, at about eight inches vertically above the cylinder base, also in horizontal hexagonal array around the cylinder, are six O₂ gas inlet ports 712, each permitting attachment of pressurized O₂ inlet lines, with the O₂ inlet lines backed by requisite valve controls and pressurized O₂ gas source. As FIG. 7 depicts a longitudinal cutaway view of the heating device 700 (a “half-pipe” view), only some of the inlets are depicted. Although six H₂O inlets are described, it is noted that any suitable number of inlets may be arranged around the body of combustion vessel 702.

At the topmost vertical end of the heating device 700, opposite the ignition device port, is a valved port 716 to control the output flow of steam 718 generated during operation, which is attached to a pressurized steam path in order to convey the steam generated by the heating device 700 during operation out and away from the combustion vessel 702 and route the steam generated to its downstream application, for example to drive a turbine. In certain implementations, to start the device, the H₂O inlet flow is brought to pressure first, followed by the H₂ gas flow, followed by the O₂ flow, and then the ignition device 706 (e.g., a glow plug) is fired to ignite the mixture of H₂, O₂, and H₂O under pressure in the combustion vessel 702. The temperature within the combustion vessel 702 spikes and then levels off as the combustion reaction takes hold, and the ambient heat of the combustion of reaction within the combustion vessel 702 provides the necessary free energy to sustain continuing combustion as H₂, O₂, and H₂O are streamed into the inlets in the correct proportions to drive the output steam temperature and pressure to required levels for downstream application. The ignition device 706 may be inexpensive and can replaced prior to each startup rather than requiring it to be heat resistant to the temperatures involved. As a failsafe, a hard shutoff of O₂ at the supply source and immediate detachment from the inlet ports of the O₂ lines may be utilized.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of an implementation in which multiple H₂O heating devices are connected in parallel. Heating system 800 is formed by including a plurality of individual H₂O heating modules 802. For example, heating modules 802 may be representative of any of combustion vessels 102, 202, 302, 402, 502, 602, and 702. Sources of H₂, O₂, and H₂O are represented by fluid source 808, which is depicted as delivering fluid via supply line 810. Supply line 810 is intended to be representative of multiple conduits sourcing the H₂, O₂, and H₂O into each of H₂O heating modules 802. In certain implementations, each of H₂O heating modules 802 may have their own fluid sources, may share common sources for some fluids and not others, or may utilize any suitable source fluid configuration (e.g., each H₂O heating module 802 may all share a common H₂O source, but have independent O₂ and H₂ sources. Each of H₂O heating modules 802 has a respective output conduit 804. Each output conduit 804 may be connected to collector conduit 806. In this arrangement, heating system 800 allows for the power output to be easily scaled up to a desired power output simply by swapping in or out one or more heating modules 802, while also maintaining operational efficiency and economies of scale.

Certain implementations may be used to drive an electricity generating station as schematically shown in FIG. 9. Station 900 is analogous to FIG. 1 with certain additions, in which the heated water output is generated at sufficient temperature and pressure to drive a steam turbine 902 with the shaft of the turbine in turn driving an electrical current generator 904 to deliver electricity via transmission lines 906. It is noted, however, that any suitable combustion vessel described herein is compatible with the electricity generating station depicted in FIG. 9. For example, in certain implementations, heating system 800 may replace combustion vessel 102 and related components to drive steam turbine 902. The spent steam on the backside of the turbine is routed through steam conduit 908 to condenser 910 and back into H₂O supply 106 via H₂O conduit 912 for reuse. H₂O passing into and through combustion vessel 102 is vaporized into steam in sufficient volume to produce an intra-vessel pressure, and super-heated to sufficient temperature to produce an intra-vessel temperature, in accordance with ideal steam-turbine inlet steam conditions consistent with the turbine manufacturer's recommended steam inlet volume and temperature specifications for optimum turbine efficiency. In certain implementations, condenser 910 may be omitted entirely, and output steam can be routed back into combustion vessel 102 via H₂O conduit 912 for reuse, which may further reduce the fuel cost to keep the system running.

Initiating the combustion of H₂ and O₂ immersed within H₂O flowing through a combustion vessel, as described in connection with the implementations disclosed herein, has at least two beneficial effects in addition to the aforementioned lack of effluents produced. First, precise control of the temperature of the resultant heated H₂O is attainable by variation of the relative flow rates of H₂, O₂, and H₂O into the combustion vessel. Second, the devices may be designed such that the bulk of the heated H₂O is the result of heating the flow of input H₂O rather than the product of combustion. Using the heat of H₂ combustion with O₂ to heat H₂O, the combustion product being H₂O, permits the combustion to occur directly within the combustion vessel with the bulk mass percent of the heated H₂O output being the H₂O originally entering the combustion vessel. In certain implementations, a mass percent of combustion-product-H₂O (i.e., the product of H₂ and O₂ combustion within the combustion vessel) in the heated H₂O output is between about 1% and about 40%. In certain implementations, the mass percent of combustion-product-H₂O in the heated H₂O output is between about 15% and about 25%. In certain implementations, the mass percent of combustion-product-H₂O in the heated H₂O output is between about 15% and 25% (or is about 20%). In certain implementations, a mass percent of combustion-product-H₂O (i.e., the product of H₂ and O₂ combustion within the combustion vessel) in the heated H₂O output is greater than or equal to about 40%. Note that in certain implementations, particularly for cutting and drilling applications, the output H₂O will be predominantly from combustion, nearer to or even above 80% of the volume or mass percent of the output. The range of volume percent or mass percent of combustion-product-H₂O in the heated H₂O output may be regulated (e.g., by a control system) by adjusting the flow rates of each of H₂, O₂, and H₂O flowing into the combustion vessel.

The temperature and pressure of the H₂O output at any given pressure by the method may be tuned to be consistent with any use of heated H₂O in liquid or vapor or supercritical phase that is within the range of temperatures and pressures obtainable via the method. The temperature of the H₂O output by the method can be varied by controlling the ratio of H₂-input-rate-to-H₂O-input-rate, while varying the O₂ input rate in proportion to the H₂ input rate to ensure efficient combustion.

For Heated H₂O:

The temperature and pressure of the H₂O output produced any implementation of the method may be tuned to produce heated H₂O consistent with use in environmental or industrial heating, cleaning, or recycling.

For Electricity Generation:

The temperature and pressure of the H₂O output in any implementation of the method may be tuned to produce heated H₂O at temperatures and pressures consistent with generating electricity by methods where the heated H₂O may be used to drive a turbine or engine that in turn may power an electrical-current generator.

For Thermodynamic Engines:

The temperature and pressure of the H₂O output in any implementation of the method may be tuned to produce heated H₂O at temperatures and pressures consistent with driving a thermodynamic engine.

For Locomotion Engines:

The temperature and pressure of the H₂O output in any implementation of the method may be tuned to produce heated H₂O at temperatures and pressures consistent with driving an engine that provides locomotion for a vehicle.

For Cutting Torches:

The temperature and pressure of the H₂O output in any implementation of the method may be tuned to produce heated steam consistent with cleanly cutting through materials.

For Drilling Tools:

The temperature and pressure of the H₂O output in any implementation of the method may be tuned to produce heated steam consistent with cleanly drilling through materials.

For Other Uses:

The temperature and pressure of the H₂O output in any implementation of the method may be tuned to produce heated steam consistent with at least one boiling tool that uses the heated H₂O output to evaporate liquid materials or boil away unwanted bodies of H₂. The temperature and pressure of the H₂O output in any implementation of the method may be tuned to produce heated steam consistent with at least one vaporization chamber used to vaporize materials. The temperature and pressure of the H₂O output in any implementation of the method may be tuned to produce fog or clouds.

For Mobile Implementation:

Any implementation of the method may be performed on a vehicle to provide geographic mobility, on an as-needed basis.

H₂O heating methods, devices employing such methods, and systems including such devices are disclosed, wherein the methods include the combustion of H₂ with O₂ immersed in flowing H₂O such that H₂O from the combustion diffuses into the flowing H₂O and accordingly supplements and heats the flowing H₂O. In the method, H₂ and O₂ gases are fed into a combustion unit that initiates and maintains the combustion resident within a body of H₂O into which H₂O to be heated flows and out of which supplemented and heated H₂O flows. The H₂ feed rate into the combustion unit determines the maximum rates of heat and H₂O generated by the combustion; the O₂ feed rate is consistent with efficient combustion of H₂ by the combustion unit. The heated H₂O output rate and temperature are then controlled by varying the H₂O feed rate and containment pressure. The implementations disclosed herein are also directed to the devices that employ the methods disclosed herein and to systems that employ at least one of the devices disclosed herein. Furthermore, the implementations disclosed herein are directed to extended systems that source heated H₂O employing at least one implementation of the method for use, inter alia, in electric power generation driven by turbines or pistons, mobile vehicle locomotion driven by turbines or pistons, environmental heating, environmental cleaning, cooking of materials, recycling of materials, cutting of materials, drilling of materials, and portable implementations of the method.

The temperature of the H₂O output at given pressure by the method can be varied by controlling the ratio of H₂-input-rate-to-H₂O-input-rate, while varying the O₂ input rate in proportion to the H₂ input rate to ensure efficient combustion. At relatively low ratios the output H₂O will be predominantly in the liquid phase and can be used for environmental heating. At somewhat higher ratios the output H₂O will be predominantly in the vapor phase at relatively low temperatures and pressures and can be used to provide steam for heating or cleaning. At relatively high ratios, the output H₂O will be predominantly in the vapor or supercritical phase at relatively high temperatures and pressures and can be used to provide steam to drive turbines or engines. At extremely high ratios, the output H₂O will be at extremely high temperatures, hot enough to cut through igneous rock and vaporize most. Overpressure of O₂ may lead to even higher combustion temperatures should such extremes be required and supportable by the materials of a considered use, for example, such as for use in making a steam cutting torch. Table 1 summarizes example output conditions for which the embodiments described herein may be utilized in the foregoing examples.

TABLE 1 Example Output Conditions for Various Applications Application Temperature ° C. Pressure PSI Illustrative Examples Water Heating 100 to 150   0 to 10 Boilers, Pools, Hot Running Water Interior Heating 100 to 200   0 to 10 Boilers, Radiators Cooking 100 to 400   0 to 10 Boilers, Burners, Ovens Cleaning 100 to 400    0 to 100 Steam Cleaners, Power Washers, Pollution Remediation (Soil/Sand/Air/Water) Steam Engine 200 to 1,000  10 to 5,000  Locomotives (Train/Ship/Auto/Plane), Industrial Automation Steam Turbine 200 to 1,000  100 to 10,000  Conventional and Supercritical Steam Turbines For Electricity Generation, Locomotives Smelting 500 to 2,000 up to 100 Metal Refineries, Fabrication Plants Recycling 500 to 3,500 up to 100 High-temperature Chromatography Drilling Tool 500 to 3,500   10 to 10,000  Large-scale Industrial Drills Cutting Tool 500 to 3,500   10 to 20,000  Large-scale Industrial Saws

For each implementation, the design, shape, scale, mechanism, platform, location, controls, sensors, various software, networks, and composition of an implementation and any of its parts may be of any configuration and materials consistent with the stated nature, intent, and function of the implementation within the method, device, or system.

Certain implementations of the method, device, or system may involve integrating multiple instances of one or more of the implementations in any composite or complex configuration such as, inter alia, in parallel or series.

Certain implementations of the method, device, or system may involve integrating multiple implementations of the method, device, and/or system in any composite or complex configuration such as, inter alia, in parallel or series.

Certain implementations of the method, device, or system may involve substitution of one or more implementations, in favor of functionally equivalent implementations of said implementations, for example and for motivation, if and when a more efficient version of any given implementations may be or becomes available. The use of any given substitution of any given implementation in any given method, device, or system does not preclude the use of a different substitution in any other implementation of the method, device, or system.

Certain implementations of the method, device, or system may involve integration of two or more implementations into a more comprehensive implementations, such that, as integrated and employed in any given implementation of the method, device, or system said integration is functionally equivalent to the implementations replaced by said integration. In particular, multiple instances of any given implementation may be integrated to form the functional equivalent of a larger scale version of said implementation. The use or omission of any given integration of any given implementation in any method does not preclude different integrations of implementations or any other given specific integrations of implementations in any other method, device, or system.

Certain implementations of the method, device, or system may involve decomposition of one or more implementations into two or more less comprehensive implementations, such that said decomposition results in implementations that, when integrated into any given implementation, result in functionally equivalent substitution relative to the implementations that were decomposed. The use or omission of any given specific decomposition of implementations in any given implementation does not preclude different decompositions of said implementations or any other specific decompositions of implementations.

Each implementation of any given method, device, or system may consume electrical current, whether or not explicitly stated in its description.

Hydrogen fuel (H₂) can be generated from methane, the primary component of commercially-available natural gas, and virtually the only component of re-gasified, commercially-available liquid natural gas. In the process, two molar volumes of water are required to process each molar volume of methane into four molar volumes of hydrogen fuel and one molar volume of carbon dioxide. In continuous operation, excess water will be generated by the combustion of fuel and oxidizer, half of which will be ported to the hydrogen-generation subsystem, to replace water used in the steam reformation of methane; the balance of water generated in the combustion process will be excess, resulting in two molar volumes of excess water generation for each molar volume of methane consumed by the system. H₂ can be obtained from external producers or produced in situ by various means including via electrolysis of H₂O and more economically by conventional steam reformation of common hydrocarbon substrates such as natural gas.

Oxygen can be harvested from ambient air using pressure swing adsorption or vacuum pressure swing adsorption or other related technologies of conventional design for oxygen volumes required of lower-output power generation systems. Oxygen can be obtained from external producers or produced in situ by various means including via electrolysis of H₂O and more economically by separation from ambient air. There are a number of conventional paths for separation of O₂ from air, including cryogenic liquefaction and subsequent distillation of O₂ from the other components of air as based on their differential boiling points, or by pressure-swing adsorption technologies, some of which leverage nitrogen preferentially binding to a zeolite substrate under overpressure relative to normal atmospheric pressure, allowing the O₂ to be harvested with less input of energy than used in cryogenic liquefaction-based techniques.

While the process of hydrogen generation in the methods described herein is largely dependent upon the cost of natural gas to remain economical, the process of oxygen generation using air separation technology is entirely dependent on the cost of electric power required in the compression and refrigeration of air into liquid form, a necessary prerequisite to the separation of oxygen from the other components of ambient air. Oxygen generated during off-peak hours using electricity sourced from inexpensive hydro-electric generating stations, or off-peak wind generation projects can be stored in bulk during periods of low demand, and then used by the power generation system to generate electricity during periods of high demand, effectively creating an electric power storage system in concert with the power generation system described.

In certain implementations, the H₂O heating device generates heated H₂O at a temperature of about 350° C. to about 800° C., preferably about 400° C. to about 750° C.

In certain implementations, the H₂O heating device generates heated H₂O at a pressure of about 145 psi to about 5,000 psi or greater, preferably to about 2,500 psi.

In certain implementations, the H₂O heating device generates heated H₂O further includes a process control means, such as one or more computers that control:

the amount and flow rate of H₂ gas into the combustion unit;

the amount and flow rate of O₂ gas into the combustion unit;

the timing of the ignition source;

the amount and flow rate of H₂O; and/or

the temperature and/or pressure of product H₂O generated as heated H₂O motive flow for use in specific end use applications (such as steam temperature and pressure conditions at a turbine inlet consistent with manufacturer's requirements).

A closed vessel capable of containing steam at a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure may be any suitable shape and size. The size at a minimum should be large enough to handle the maximum diameter of the source of the H₂O and combustion unit with the product outlet.

The combustion unit may be located on any side or portion of the closed vessel, or may constitute the whole vessel. In certain implementations, the combustion vessel is conical shaped, with the base of the conical shape serving as the bottom of the chamber. In certain implementations, fluid is delivered through a bottom of the combustion vessel and delivered in a vertical direction relative to the bottom of the combustion vessel. In certain implementations, the combustion vessel, whether vertically or otherwise aligned, is anchored and braced against the back-pressure thrust produced by output of steam under pressure from the device. In certain implementations, the H₂O supply is distilled or deionized, so that it contains substantially no minerals, and may additionally be de-aerated, so that it contains substantially no dissolved gases that can cause damage to turbine blades, for example.

In certain implementations of the H₂O heating device, the H₂O conduit includes a nozzle and an optional nebulizer. In preferred implementations, the H₂O conduit supplies H₂O in a high surface area pattern (e.g., using a fog-head nozzle).

As described earlier, the methods, devices, and systems disclosed herein may use any suitable H₂ gas source, including, but not limited to, steam methane reforming, pressure swing adsorption-assisted (PSA) steam methane reforming, distillation of liquefied air, water reactive compounds (such as diborane and certain metal hydrides and boro-hydrides, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,101,592, incorporated by reference herein in its entirety), electrolysis of water, and the like. Any CO₂ produced in the steam methane reforming is captured and may be sequestered or sold.

As described earlier, the methods, devices, and systems disclosed herein may use any suitable O₂ gas source, including, but not limited to, a pressure swing adsorption device, a vacuum pressure swing adsorption device, distillation of liquefied air, catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide or metallic peroxide or a superoxide that is reactive with water (such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,101,592), electrolysis of water, and the like.

The H₂ gas supply may be vendor supplied, an H₂ generation sub-system or some combination thereof. The H₂ gas supply may be compressed or cryogenic.

The O₂ gas supply may be vendor supplied, a O₂ generation sub-system (i.e., an electrolyzer unit array) or O₂ harvesting sub-system (i.e., cryogenic air separation system, a PSA system, or a vacuum-PSA system), or some combination thereof. The O₂ gas supply may be compressed or cryogenic.

In another implementation, a system includes a condenser loop for the heated H₂O. The condenser loop may include at least one de-aerator unit.

In another implementation, a system may include a rotating turbine shaft. The heated H₂O or steam generated by the H₂O heating device is ducted from the device to the rotating turbine shaft. A generator can use the rotating turbine shaft to generate electricity or to drive an inductive motor propulsion system for a railroad locomotive.

In another implementation, a system may include a steam engine.

In another implementation, a system includes:

at least one H₂O heating device described herein; and

at least one rotating turbine shaft.

In another implementation, a system includes:

at least one H₂O heating device described herein; and

at least one steam engine.

In certain implementations, at least one implementation of the device is mounted on at least one steam engine. In certain implementations, the at least one steam engine is stationary, such as those used in buildings. In certain implementations, the at least one steam engine is mobile or portable, such as those used in steam locomotives, steam ships, tractors, and the like.

In certain implementations, the system may contain multiple devices in communication with associated multiple turbine sections, each using the same or different manufacturer-recommended steam conditions of temperature and pressure. Heated H₂O at different conditions can be produced using a separate H₂O heating device of appropriate vessel size and volume configuration (e.g., a high pressure steam generation system, an intermediate pressure steam generation system, and/or a low pressure steam generation system). Each separate system could accept the exhaust steam from the preceding stage in a reheat-type system to maximize overall turbine efficiency.

In another implementation of the method, device, or system may involve integrating multiple implementations of the method, device, and/or system in any composite or complex configuration such as, inter alia, in parallel or series.

The system may further include:

a turbine system including a plurality of stages having the same or different temperature and pressure requirements;

wherein each of the H₂O heating devices provides heated H₂O at a pressure and temperature corresponding to the temperature and pressure requirements of each of the stages.

In the specific implementation of a railroad locomotive system, an H₂O heating device for a steam turbine may be located within the interior of a railroad locomotive body with fuel and oxidizer contained within tank-car storage vessels located as rolling stock behind the locomotive with means to deliver fuel and oxidizer from respective tank cars by suitable flexible hose lines to the gas to the appropriate H₂ fluid source and O₂ fluid source.

In certain implementations, methods may include condensing at least a portion of the heated H₂O to form condensate H₂O. In certain implementations, the condensate H₂O is used as at least of a portion of the H₂O supply. In certain implementations, methods may include condensing at least of a portion of the heated H₂O to form the H₂O supply.

The disclosures of each patent, patent application, and publication cited or described in this document are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

From the above discussion and figures, one skilled in the art can ascertain the essential characteristics of the implementations disclosed herein, and without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, can make various changes and modifications to adapt the implementations to various usages and conditions. Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that numerous changes and modifications can be made to the implementations and that such changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the various implementations. It is, therefore, intended that the appended claims cover all such equivalent variations as fall within the true spirit and scope of the disclosed implementations. 

1. A method of producing heated H₂O, comprising: immersing, within a flow of H₂O in a combustion vessel, a combustion reaction of H₂ and O₂, the combustion reaction producing an H₂O product, wherein: the combustion reaction is maintained by a combustion unit within the combustion vessel; the H₂O product diffuses into and supplements the flow of H₂O, and heat generated by the combustion reaction increases the temperature of the flow of H₂O to produce the heated H₂O.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the flow of H₂O is atomized.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein an average mass of the combustion product in the supplemented flow of H₂O is between about 15% and about 25% of an average mass of the supplemented flow of H₂O.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the heated H₂O has a temperature of about 100° C. to about 3500° C.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the heated H₂O has a pressure of about 14 psi to about 10,000 psi.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the combustion of H₂ with O₂ is ignited initially by an ignition device within the combustion unit.
 7. An H₂O heating device, comprising: a combustion vessel capable of containing heated H₂O at a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure; at least one combustion unit for forming heated H₂O, each of the at least one combustion units comprising: at least one H₂ conduit; at least one O₂ conduit; and at least one ignition device; wherein the at least one combustion unit is located within the combustion vessel; an H₂O conduit, wherein the H₂O conduit is configured to contact H₂O with a product of combustion of H₂ and O₂ and to absorb heat to form heated H₂O; an H₂ supply in fluid communication with the H₂ conduit; an O₂ supply in fluid communication with the O₂ conduit; an H₂O supply in fluid communication with the H₂O conduit; and at least one output conduit.
 8. The H₂O heating device of claim 7, further comprising a control system.
 9. The H₂O heating device of claim 7, wherein the control system is configured to run control software.
 10. The H₂O heating device of claim 7, the at least one H₂ supply is generated from a hydrocarbon substrate.
 11. The H₂O heating device of claim 7, wherein the at least one H₂ supply is generated by pressure swing adsorption-assisted steam methane reforming.
 12. The H₂O heating device of claim 7, wherein the at least one H₂ supply is generated by electrolysis of water.
 13. The H₂O heating device of claim 10, wherein CO₂ produced, as a result of generating the at least one H₂ supply, is sequestered.
 14. The H₂O heating device of claim 7, wherein the at least one O₂ supply is generated by a pressure swing adsorption device.
 15. The H₂O heating device of claim 7, wherein the at least one O₂ supply is generated by a vacuum pressure swing adsorption device.
 16. The H₂O heating device of claim 7, wherein the at least one O₂ supply is generated by distillation of liquefied air.
 17. The H₂O heating device of claim 7, wherein the at least one O₂ supply is generated by electrolysis of water.
 18. The H₂O heating device of claim 7, wherein the at least one ignition device comprises at least one of a piezo-electric spark plug, a glow plug, or an incendiary device. 19-40. (canceled)
 41. An H₂O heating system comprising: a plurality of H₂O heating modules, each H₂O heating module comprising: a combustion unit; an H₂ conduit for delivering H₂ into the combustion unit; an O₂ conduit for delivering O₂ into the combustion unit; an H₂O conduit; an ignition device arranged within the combustion unit and configured to cause combustion of H₂ and O₂ delivered by the H₂ conduit and the O₂ conduit, respectively, within a flow of H₂O from the H₂O conduit; and an output conduit; and a collector conduit, wherein the collector conduit is configured to receive heated H₂O from an output conduit of each of the plurality of H₂O heating modules.
 42. The H₂O heating system of claim 41, wherein each of the plurality of H₂O heating modules are arranged in a parallel configuration. 43-48. (canceled) 